Moving Forward
by im-a-tumor
Summary: "10 years of living together will do that to you." LeonxAerith, Post KH2, Longest one-shot ever!


**A Leon x Aerith story I came up with because I love the two so much together. They're my KH OTP next to Namine and Riku. Also, this goes hand in hand with "Keeping a Promise" and when it comes to the first dance, imagine Yuna's sending and Squall's dance for the second one. **

**Don't own Kingdom Hearts. **

**OoOoOoO**

"Hey Aerith; _he_'s here to pick you up!"

Aerith blinked and looked up from the seeds she was tending to. She smiled at the sight of the leather-clad man standing against the tree, waiting for her.

OoOoO

Aerith Gainsborough, member of the Hollow Bastion (now Radiant Gardens) Restoration Committee, was restoring the flower beds and plant life of the town that used to be famous for it. According to Yuffie, the gardens had to be radiant again.

When the town had been rid of most of its Heartless, restoring the town had gone smoother and quicker.

Leon was appointed the leader, which was a job he did not take lightly. Ever serious and always hardworking, Leon went from guarding the town to directing in's reconstruction.

Cid and Merlin had worked hard to keep the defence system up and running on its own, but many tweaks were needed. It was close to finishing now.

The fairies known as Yuna, Rikku, and Paine, or the Gullwings, had decided to help out if they got claims on any treasure floating around.

Yuffie had helped all the residents, new or returning, to find homes, make sure everyone had the things they needed and helped the shopkeepers. She also played with many of the young children, putting smiles on their faces.

Helping the residents was also Aerith's job before the last meeting the committee had.

The town was progressing and since it had been known as Hollow Bastion for so long, they believed a renaming ceremony was in order. A festival was going to be held to celebrate Radiant Gardens' return.

"But it's not Radiant Gardens without the gardens! Remember Aerith, how we used to take walks in the garden all the time? And the way they grew and smelled – especially when you worked on them."

True, when the gardens were at their best, it was because she was tending to them. As a child, she was taken into the guild of white mages and learned the properties of healing magic. But she spent free time in the plentiful gardens and she managed to grow the flowers beautifully. Whether it was with a boost of magic or simply gardening, Aerith had a talent. But that was when they were children, back before the Heartless came and took their world. Aerith had not practiced the art as often as she had liked with Traverse Town low on the things she needed. Besides, she was busy with helping the Keyblade master at the time.

"Thank you Yuffie. I agree, but it will take a while for flower to bloom again." Aerith dreamed of the sweet fragrances that floated over the dozens upon dozens of beds of her childhood. She would like to grow flowers again in their home, especially around the castle; that's where the best had sprouted.

"Well, Aerith, hypothetically speaking, how long would it take?" Merlin asked.

"Hmm...Well, I'd need to plan where the beds will go, mulch them, and weed them out. Then I'd have to plant the seeds and tend to them. One large bed should take about a week. If I use magic, the flowers would grow within the next week." Aerith thought for a moment and nodded. "I think it would take me months to get the gardens restored. And I'd have to speak to Tron about the Radiant Garden showers."

The showers were the one thing Tron showed them of their former home after Sora and his friends helped him defeat the MCP. He might have control over them and the droplets of light usually looked beautiful over the gardens.

"Well then missy, you better hop to it! The shop keepers and residents are flowing in and I think 10 years is long enough to see the bloom again." Cid grinned at the girl. Everyone else nodded their heads.

Aerith blinked. "You...you want me to restore the gardens? All of them? T-that'll take a lot of magic, especially for one person! Besides, I'm helping the town and-"

"But nothing!" Yuffie interrupted. "We'll all be there to help when we can! Besides, there are loads of volunteers! I know you can do it if you lead them!" Yuffie beamed at her. And Aerith couldn't help but smile back. She took a deep breath; then nodded. The room cheered.

"Alright, let's get plans done for the festival" Leon commanded, laying a chart on the table. "Mr. Leader can't have any fun" Rikku muttered as everyone bent over the table to have a look. Aerith just smiled, but was feeling queasy all of a sudden. But she tried to dismiss it.

OoO

So for the past few weeks, Aerith was hard at work, planning and preparing the gardens. She spoke with Tron, who said he could activate the ports for the showers for the festival. When she wasn't planting and weeding, she was practicing her magic. There was a large tree in the fields beyond the town that Aerith had covered in layers of greenery, flowers growing on top of flowers. She had been able to develop her magic to a great level but it still took immense energy that caused her to collapse at times. And the fields where she practiced were home to any refugee Heartless that had managed to escape.

So now Leon acted as her bodyguard, on his insistence. Leon jumped between the festival preparations and patrolling the town, which worried his friends because he seemed to never eat or sleep. And on top of that, he managed to be wherever Aerith was on time to escort her safely.

Aerith didn't mind. After the first week, when they would walk only in silence, Leon tried to start a conversation by asking her how her day was. This surprised Aerith, as she thought he was usually one to stay quiet, but she didn't make a fuss because she didn't want to scare this new Leon away, so to speak.

So their walks together had brought the two closer together in ways which living with each other for 10 years hadn't. Aerith discovered what Leon's favourite foods were and cooked meals to his preference on occasion (whenever he managed to come to dinner after patrolling).

Leon had also discovered Aerith favourite treat, cinnamon buns, and tried to bake them himself for her. She came home that day with Yuffie to see the kitchen and Leon covered in flour and cinnamon. When asked why he baked something like that on his day off, he shrugged and didn't reply. The cinnamon buns had come out hard in the center and mushy on the outside Yuffie gagged after a bite and left, but Aerith ate every last bite. And then she spent the night in the bathroom. But she didn't complain. She just put on a smile to distract him from the green in her face.

Many people had seen the two walking back and forth, and believed the two were an item. Some had asked Aerith to invite Leon on a double date; other girls had asked how she captured his heart. But Aerith was oblivious and just shook her head, saying she wasn't sure what they were talking about.

Leon had every man's jealous stare and pats on the back in congratulations. Although he knew what they meant, he shrugged them off, hoping they wouldn't see the slight red in his face. The girl had planted a seed in his heart and he didn't want to acknowledge it was there but it grew until he couldn't ignore it.

OoOoO

Aerith got up and dusted off her skirt, saying goodbye to the volunteers. They waved and giggled as she skipped to him. Leon just turned his head away, knowing they were taunting the 'couple.'

"How'd it go?" he asked. He never failed to ask. She smiled, and answered. "Well, we decided on a pattern for the largest part; the vines have started growing over the ports, and Tron can sense them. I need to develop the spell so the vines will grow longer and not fuller because it's just for the show." She sighed, rubbing her face and getting dirt smeared on her cheek.

Leon reached out and gently wiped it off with a gloved hand. Her heart fluttered and she blushed, but just smiled and said "Thank you."

Leon nodded in response, hiding the emotions he felt buzzing in his gut. "Will you be working on spells tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll be in the fields." She paused and regarded him solemnly for a moment before sighing. "You look tired Leon; I assume you've been running around all day?"

He nodded again. "Some merchants on a Gummi ship passed by and caused a mess. They also had refugee Heartless that stowed away without them knowing, so Yuffie and I had our hands full. The town's system can't handle so many people and Heartless in one place. It shut down so I had to reset it with Tron's help."

Aerith nodded as the castle loomed into view. She smiled again, looking to the sky. "Will you be on patrol tonight?" He nodded although she wasn't looking him, knowing she knew the answer.

"Then...be careful, ok? It's supposed to be cold tonight and I doubt you'll see any Heartless." She said as she walked up the steps and pushed the side door open.

Leon paused, and then nodded. "Well, thank you again for escorting me" she said with a giggle, curtsying before she retired to her room. Leon watched her walk away, and then went over to a chair to sit for minute before going on patrol.

OoO

Aerith came back to start dinner when she saw Leon silently napping in a chair. She smiled, stifling a giggle and took a blanket from a nearby closet over to him. Her smile dropped when she got a good look at him. He always kept a facade up around everyone but now that his face was relaxed, she could see dark circles around his eyes and see how tense his muscles still were even in slumber. She sighed.

"I'm...worried about you...Leon..." she whispered before starting dinner.

OoOoO

"Acacia..." she breathed, her arm swooping to the right. "...dahlia..." her arm swooped to the left. "Chrysanthemum!" she clapped her hands. Each flower slowly grew from the thicket that covered the tree, the buds growing and blooming. Aerith wiped her brow and sat back. She reached for her basket where she knew an elixir bottle was before seeing the tiny bottle hovering in front of her. She looked up to see Leon towering over her, a smirk on his face.

She smiled up at him and opened her mouth wide. Leon understood right away and tipped the contents of the bottle into her mouth. She licked her lips and grinned up at him. He turned away, trying to conceal his red face.

Aerith jumped to her feet and stumbled. She gripped onto Leon`s arm and quickly recoiled. "Leon; you`re freezing!"

Leon just stepped away. "Let's get lunch already. I'm supposed to help Yuffie later."

"You didn't wear a jacket last night! I said it was going to be cold, Leon."

Leon didn't say anything. Aerith ran to catch up with his retreating back. "Leon!"

She reached forward to tough his shoulder...and he fell back. His full weight was now on Aerith as she struggled to support his tall frame so suddenly.

"Leon?" she asked in a smaller voice as she gently lay him down. His eyes were squeezed shut and his breathing had become shallow.

"Leon...Leon?" her voice become more frantic as she continually called out his name. But he was unresponsive. Aerith began to panic. She tried a cure spell but it didn't work. She felt his forehead; he was burning up.

She flung one of his cold arms over her shoulder and grabbed one of his belts to keep him up. He was still heavy and his legs were limp and dragging along the ground.

"D-don't worry, Leon. I'll get you out of here. With all that work you do, it's a wonder you didn't collapse earlier." Aerith smiled despite the situation. "You really are Radiant Garden's hero."

Her smile dropped as she felt a chill creep up her spine. From the ground sprouted several Heartless, their beady eyes gazing at the two humans hungrily. Aerith's panic began to spike up once more as she quickly looked around, finding herself surrounded.

She bit her lip and readjusted her grip on Leon. "I'll keep us safe, Leon. I can defend everyone too!"

OoO

Yuffie looked up from roof she was helping shingle, peering into the distance. She thought she heard thunder, but the sky was crisp and clear. She frowned.

"Something wrong?" Yuna asked, the fairy struggling with a tile. Yuffie continued to look out. "I thought I heard thunder and-"

She stopped, her eyes widening. A few bolts of lightning rained down from the sky seemingly from nowhere. Yuna followed her gaze to see the same. "Hey, isn't that where Aerith was practicing magic?"

"Yeah, but she's practicing her flower magic. Why is she using Thunder? Unless...unless she's attacking something!" Yuffie leaped up and brandished her shuriken from its place on her back.

"Why would she attack something? Leon left to pick her up a while ago and should've been there by now." Rikku pointed out, following Yuna and Yuffie with Paine close behind.

"So something must have happened to Leon then! I bet they're being attacked by the Heartless that had escaped from us yesterday!" Yuffie yelled back, sprinting in the direction of the bolts.

OoO

"Hello?"

Leon was somewhere completely dark, engulfed in mist. He looked every which way trying to distinguish where he was exactly. His hand went to his hip for his gunblade but it wasn't with him.

_Dammit, where in this universe am I?_

"Cid! Yuffie! Yuna! Paine! Rikku!" Leon called out. "Aerith, where are you guys?"

He was walking in a general direction, not knowing where he was heading when a flash of pink caught his eye. Whirling around, he spotted the young pink-clad woman he'd come to grow close with.

"Aerith!" he called to her as he ran towards the one familiar thing in sight. She stiffened and slowly turned around. Coming closer, Leon could see scratches and bruises all over her arms. Blood was trailing down her face but all her wounds were black. She looked at him with fearful eyes but a smile was on her face.

"Aerith, what happened?" he asked. But she didn't answer, and only slowly walked towards him.

Strings of purple-black ribbons began to trail along the ground behind Aerith. A deep rumbling shook the entire area. Cracks formed all around the pair. Leon was looking every which way to find an escape route. But Aerith just stayed still, her face staying in that sad smile as she turned her gaze to Leon. She wrapped her arms around him and this brought Leon away from his panic. He grew warm and hesitated before placing his arms around her. "Leon..." she whispered into his shirt. She glanced up and gave him a sad smile once again. "I'm sorry..." she said before pushing him away roughly and took a few steps back.

Leon stumbled back in surprise and looked back at Aerith in horror as the ground beneath her began to crumble away. Leon ran forward but the ground had already broken apart and Aerith was sent tumbling into the darkness below. Leon could only stand in shock while he saw her green eyes disappear.

OoO

"AERITH!"

Leon shot up and felt something cool slip from his face to his lap. A hand was clamped over his mouth and he tried to pry it away before his senses returned to him.

He was in his bedroom. The cool thing was a wet cloth. The hand over his mouth was Yuffie's.

"Be quiet, would you? That's the first time she's relaxed since she got here!" Yuffie hissed, looking over her shoulder to a lump on the ground. Leon glanced over in the direction to see Aerith, leaning against the wall, sleeping soundly. It looked like someone had placed a blanket over her.

Leon pulled Yuffie's hand off his face. He tried to speak, but his throat was dry. Looking at his nightstand, he saw a glass of water. He let it cool his throat before trying to speak again. "What happened?" he whispered.

"According to Aerith, shortly after you came to pick her up, you collapsed and then a bunch of Heartless appeared. I saw a Thunder spell being used and followed it to just the edge of town. She was fighting the Heartless and dragging you back home. She seemed pretty beat up, too. You owe her one." Yuffie explained in hushed tones.

Leon could only stare at her small frame. "Why didn't you tell us you were sick and tired? A day off every other week won't kill you, and clearly you're over working yourself."

Leon stayed silent, looking down at his own hands this time. But his stomach thought otherwise and decided to growl. Yuffie giggled.

"Mr. Macho's hungry now. I'll be back with some food." And with that, she leaped off the bed and ran to the kitchen. Leon carefully stepped out of bed, and felt an immediate rush of pain all over his forehead. He closed his eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of his nose

He then realized his hand was bare and looked down to see he was wearing his pyjamas. He glanced over to the window and saw the sun peaking through the cliffs in the distance. He turned to the clock on his stand to see it was very early in the morning. _How long was I out?_

He stood back up and walked over to the sleeping Aerith. Her face was smooth and her mouth was slightly open. Leon smiled a little to himself as he brushed some stray hairs off her hair. He left his hand there for a moment and just stared, taking in just seeing her there, safe.

_I failed to protect the one I care for most, twice now. I almost lost you to the darkness. But you fought back, to protect me._ Leon chuckled to himself. _We joked that'd I was your knight. Guess I failed at that too. Look who protected who when there was trouble. I guess it's your light that shines through brighter than mine. _

_You are my light. But I hate that you might be saving it to help _him_ shine._

"You know, its things like that that make everyone wonder why you guys aren't a couple."

Leon's head shot up and hand pulled back. Yuffie was standing at the doorway, a large tray in her hands. She walked in and placed the tray on the ground between herself and Leon. She poured juice into the cups she brought and picked up a sandwich. "The only thing I can make since Aerith's sleeping. Sandwiches a la Yuffie."

"Um, w-who put me in my pyjamas?" Leon asked, hoping to distract Yuffie from his moment earlier. "Cid did. He's on patrol now. I've been on patrol for most of the night so he took over." She answered after swallowing. "Hey," she looked at Leon.

"What is this, with you and Aerith? I mean, you guys are close, I know that, but you seem _close_, if you know what I mean."

Leon glanced back at Aerith to see if she'd woken up. "Merlin placed a spell on her when she finally calmed down. As long as we're quiet, she won't wake up." Yuffie said, sensing his uneasiness.

Leon looked back to the sandwich he was nibbling on. "It's...nothing." he said, taking another bite out of his sandwich. "Oh come on! That's clearly not _nothing_, seriously! You just screamed her name after having a nightmare."

"That's not it. I...I had the dream of _that _night."

Yuffie sighed. "Leon may be quiet, but he doesn't lie. It's not in him to be dishonest. If he does lie, someone can usually tell; he's not very good at it." She opened her eyes and grinned at Leon. "Aerith's exact words when I thought you hid my shuriken. You guys _know_ each other, now tell me!"

Yuffie quieted down. "Besides, if it was of _that_ night, a nightmare you hadn't had in years, you would've screamed _her_ name, not Aerith's. And if you tell me how you feel, I can find out what Aerith thinks of you!"

"Thinks of whom?"

"I'd like to know that too!"

"Don't be so noisy!"

In a flash, the Gullwings appeared, floating mischievously and looking at Yuffie with big pleading eyes.

"What Aerith thinks of Leon and how Leon feels about Aerith" Yuffie answered before Leon could clamp her mouth shut.

"Oh, tell us, tell us! I'd really like to know!" The fairies sat on Yuffie's shoulders and head and all four girls looked at Leon attentively.

"I'm not saying anything" Leon said firmly, turning his head to the side. But it was just his luck that the side he turned to was where Aerith was sleeping. And the girls could see red in his face.

The girls began to giggle. "Heh, you _like_ her, don't you?" Rikku asked.

"I—I don't!" Leon protested his face even redder. _Why is this harder than facing a pack of Heartless?_

"Heh! He does like her! He likes her, he likes her!" Rikku was chanting as quietly as she could and both she and Yuffie were teasing the scarlet Leon.

"I don't like her, I...I-"

"Are you in love with her?"

Yuna's question was quiet and quick, but it managed to calm everyone down and look at the top of Yuffie's head. The little Gullwing's face was very serious and her eyes had an intense gaze.

"I...I..." Leon looked down at his hands, feeling slightly numb. "I...think I might be..."

That was all it took to set Yuffie off. "You're in LOVE with her? Love as in 'love, _love_' right? Oh my god, you've got to tell Aerith! Aerith, Aerith!"

"No, don't!"

Aerith's eyes slowly fluttered. "Hm?" she looked at the sight in front of her. Leon was clamping his hand over Yuffie's mouth and pinning her arm back while Yuffie was pulling his hair and kicking in an attempt to get free. The fairies were just munching down on whatever was left on the tray, which Yuffie was coming close to kicking over and creating a mess. Everyone froze at her voice.

"What's going on?" Aerith asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She blinked, and then quickly got up.

"Leon, you shouldn't be out of bed! How are you feeling?" Her hand reached out and touched his forehead. His grip on Yuffie loosened and she wriggled free. Leon took Aerith's hand off his head and held it gently. "I'm fine. Really. Did the Heartless hurt you?"

Behind Aerith, Leon could see four sly grins. He ignored them. Leon already knew the answer to his question but waited for Aerith to answer anyways.

She just gave him a smile. "Nah, they couldn't hurt little old me; I'm a big girl now."

She lied, smiling to cover up anything that might worry Leon. Typical Aerith.

"I'm glad you're awake, Aerith; we're all horrible cooks and haven't had any of your delicious food since yesterday morning." Rikku said, smiling brightly.

"Yeah, if Leon can let go of your hand long enough, teach me how to make something other than sandwiches." Yuffie spoke up, staring at their adjoining hands with a smirk.

"Oh! Alright, sorry you guys." Aerith turned to Leon and pulled him up with her. She pushed him to his bed. "Now you rest mister. No going outside for a while." She turned around and left the room, bringing the tray Yuffie's sandwiches were on with her.

"She was here the whole time, looking after you, so you owe all of us 2 of Aerith's meals."

"Don't tell her. I'll wring your neck if you do."

Yuffie pondered this for a second. "Well, if you wait too long, she'll be beyond your reach. Think about that. Until then, my lips are sealed."

She and the fairies raced after Aerith. She surprised Leon, who thought she would tell Aerith as soon as she could; _I guess she's grown from that scared little kid that fled from Radiant Garden 10 years ago._

Leon lay back on the pillow, feeling lightheaded from all the sudden blood that rushed to his face.

OoO

"Hey Leon, can we come in?"

"Just go in! Who said we need his permission?"

"Yuffie, he's sick. Don't-"

"Oi, Mr. Macho, we brought you breakfast!" Yuffie flung the door open to see Leon lying on the bed, eyes closed.

"See, he's sleeping. Don't wake him up." Aerith said in a hushed voice, placing the tray on his nightstand.

She gazed over at him for a minute before placing a hand on his cheek. His fever had gone down considerably but she was still worried.

Just as she was about to remove her hand, his own was brought up and placed on top of hers. She froze; he was still sleeping, but he turned his face towards her hand.

Fits of giggles brought Aerith back from her surprise and Leon from his sleep.

Leon realized what he was doing and withdrew his hand, muttering an apology before sitting up.

"Here's some food to help you rejuvenate."

Leon took a couple of bites before addressing Aerith. "What about the festival preparations? You still have the gardens to take care of."

She smiled. "I think you're a little more important than the flowers, Leon."

"I'm feeling fine. The volunteers need you. You should go help them."

Aerith thought for a moment. "You're sure?" she asked hesitantly. Leon nodded.

"And you won't run off and try to work?"

"It's not like anyone will let me anyways. Sounds like I scared them all yesterday."

Aerith stood up and nodded. "Alright, I'll be back for lunch to see how you're doing then." And she left.

OoO

"What do you love about her?"

Leon sighed. The girls weren't letting up on him. As soon as Aerith left, they began bombarding him with questions.

"Come on, Leon! I gotta know!"

"You sound as if your life is on the line."

"If you don't tell me, your life will be on the line!"

"Leon?" Everyone regarded the little blue Gullwing; her face was as serious as the night before.

"You know, this would be a good time to find out."

"Find out what?"

Yuffie and Leon and the Gullwings were in Leon's room, keeping him company. It was an hour after Aerith had left. Leon's fever had almost completely disappeared.

"To find out what Aerith thinks about you!" Rikku cried, exasperated.

"Forget it. Something like me shouldn't distract her from the project."

"She almost dropped the project to take care of you! That should mean something!" Yuffie protested.

"Well, it doesn't. Just let her be."

"You know I won't."

"Then how are you going to find out? I doubt she'd tell you. You have the biggest mouth here."

"Maybe we can help with that."

Yuffie and Leon stopped squabbling to look at the Gullwings.

"How can you help?" Yuffie asked, interest peaking.

"Well, while floating around, we came upon this really cool treasure! It's an electronic device that makes two people hear each other over any distance. We've got two of them and we'll take one to Aerith and talk to her. You guys can listen on the other end, but you have to be quiet because then she'll hear you."

"Where is this device?"

Yuna waved her hand and in a flash, two black boxes with an antennae sticking out of each appeared.

"What did that kid call them? Walkie talkies?" Rikku asked the other fairies.

"Kid? You took them from someone, didn't you?" Yuffie accused.

"No, we asked someone." Rikku shot back.

Yuffie didn't believe her but held the box all the same. It looked like a little radio, with a large red button on the side. Paine flipped a switch on the back of both of the WTs.

"Now be quiet, and listen. We'll talk to Aerith."

"Why is _this,_ a sudden interest to all of you?" Leon asked, not wanting any part of what was about to come.

"Well, you're usually Mr. Stick-up-his-butt and it's not every day you say you're in love someone." Rikku stated simply.

"I-I never said that! I said...might..."

"Then that's good enough for me!" Yuna cried, as she placed the giant strap over her shoulder and disappeared in a flash of blue light.

"Remember to be quiet!" Rikku said, leaving in a flash of yellow light.

"Bye." Paine waved slightly before red light showed her disappearance.

All Leon and Yuffie could do was watch that little black box and wait.

OoO

"Hey Aerith!"

Said girl looked up at whoever had called her name. She spied the three Gullwings signalling her over to a large tree. They were seated on a stone bench.

"Can you hear us ok?" Rikku said while Aerith was still out of earshot. She was placing a large leaf over the Walkie talkie that was under the bench. "Yup" Yuffie answered.

"She'll hear us soon. Keep your ears open and mouths closed." Paine said, assuming a nonchalant pose. Rikku and Yuna followed suite.

"Hey you guys! How are you? Last I heard, you were entertaining Leon with Yuffie. Did something happen? Is Leon's fever back?"

Aerith's face went from a kind smile to a frantic and panicked. "Whoa, Aerith calm down!" Yuna tried to soothe the hysterical girl.

"He's not sick again, is he? I should go back and check on him!" Aerith cried, turning.

"No! He's fine! Really Aerith, we'd tell you if he wasn't!"

Yuna and Rikku grabbed a shoulder and tried to pull Aerith back to reality. She took a breath to compose herself. "You...you're sure he's ok?" she asked softly; Leon and Yuffie almost couldn't hear her.

"Yeah, sit down and take a breath for a moment." Yuna said soothingly. Aerith complied and breathed. "I'm worried about him" was all she said. "I've been worrying about him this whole time too. I just...I don't know..."

"It's alright." Yuna said, rubbing her hand gently. "Leon seems to have had quite an effect on you recently. We've noticed."

Aerith smiled at her pixie friend. "Well, I think he has too."

"Do you like him?" asked Rikku. Paine gave her a glare where Aerith couldn't see her; she wasn't exactly playing it cool.

They expected Aerith to giggle or make a comment that took them off topic or even a quick yes or no answer. But it was a couple minutes before Aerith surprised them all. "'Like' isn't the right word..." her brow furrowed in thought.

"Not the right word..." Yuna said, trying to tread carefully to see what answer she could pull without causing suspicion. "Could 'love' be the right word?" she asked cautiously.

"Hmm..." Aerith thought for a minute longer.

"I haven't given something like this much thought for a while, to be honest. I mean, when we escaped Radiant Garden 10 years ago and landed in Traverse Town, I'll admit I had a little crush on him. He was my hero, my knight in shining armour that would protect me from the evil Heartless. I've grown up from that kind of person though; it was only a little crush."

OoO

On the other side of the Walkie talkie, Leon felt himself flush and deflate. Yuffie only looked on with a sad look.

OoO

"I'll also admit that he's very handsome – even now."

"Even with the scar on his face?" asked Rikku. Yuna and Paine glared at her again, for almost ruining whatever they could pump out.

"That scar is what pushes Leon to be the strong leader he is now." Aerith answered, oblivious to the fairies and their stares. "He pushes himself so much, to be strong than 'Squall'; when he couldn't protect our world, I think it bruised more than his ego. I think he lost a bit of his heart. There were times, while we were still new in Traverse Town, when I thought we would lose him to the darkness. I was so scared. And yesterday, when he collapsed, that fear jumped right back. I really thought..." she trailed off.

OoO

Yuffie and Leon were now watching the Walkie talkie with such intense focus, their noses almost touching the speaker so as not to miss a single word.

"Hey...are you crying Aerith? Please don't, Leon's alright now, so everything's alright." Yuna's voice was sympathetic. They could hear small words from Paine and Rikku and quiet sniffling. Yuffie turned to Leon with raised eyebrows but they dropped as soon as they saw the dismayed look in his eyes as he looked at the Walkie talkie.

_I'm...making her feel all these things. And she hid it all behind that smile this entire time..._

OoO

"You're right, I'm sorry." Aerith said as she tried to laugh it off. "I...was just thinking about the past for a sec. He's suffered so much; I don't want him to go through any more agony. He's in pieces and hiding it in front of everyone else."

"Just like you?" Paine asked simply.

"I suppose...Listen, I'll tell you guys a secret; When Leon first started escorting me everywhere, he didn't say anything. Then he started to speak after about a week and I really got to know him. It surprised me, but I feel like I got to know both Squall and Leon. And although he didn't say it, I could practically see the shards he'd been broken up to. But I got to see him smile; it was small, but it was a smile. And I felt so happy I could see that smile, like he was himself, for a little bit, and in the light. Everything's been so bleak and hard in his life so far, I thought, maybe it's time he needed a little healing. I...I wanted to be the one to pick up those pieces and put them back together. I wanted to keep those pieces away from the darkness. I...don't ever want to lose him; I want him to shine in the light..." Aerith clutched her hands in prayer and closed her eyes briefly. "I want to make him smile again...even if it's only a little bit. I want him to be happy."

"You know, I think you're already doing that, a little bit. I think you're healing him by just being around him." Yuna pointed out, trying to get her in the right direction.

"I don't think so; it looks like every time I'm around him, he looks like he's sick."

OoO

"Yeah, lovesick" Yuffie muttered, smiling from that recent outburst from her friend.

Leon didn't even go red, he was just staring thoughtfully.

OoO

"Can I ask a question?" Rikku asked, turning everyone's attention to her.

"I was thinking; what was the deal with you and Mr. Spikey Head? And Ms. Fists? And Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome?"

Aerith blinked before giggling a bit. "You mean Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth? Well, Sephiroth is Cloud's darkness and he's finding a way to destroy that part of him. Tifa is a friend from my childhood and she wants to help Cloud. She even has a crush on him, for as long as I remember. I think...she wants to be Cloud's light. I'm not blind...I could see it in her eyes. When we reclaimed Hollow Bastion and Cloud came back from Olympus, a part of me thought he came back because he followed a beacon of light...my light. But, things have changed. He left to fight the darkness and I knew then, that his light was somewhere else. Well, I think his light is following him right now."

She smiled sadly despite herself. "Time is moving forward, and so are we. I can't get left behind, so I had to drop things in order to catch up to everyone else. Leave the past behind, you know? So I told Cloud, before he left, that once he found his light, it'd lead him back here. And I think she's dragging him back now." Aerith giggled at the thought.

"Aerith?" Yuna asked gently. "What's the right word?"

Aerith opened her mouth and unknown to her, everyone who could hear her leaned in.

"Aerith! We need your help!"

Some volunteers had run over to Aerith. It was all the fairies could do to not attack them.

"I'll catch up with you later" Aerith said, waving to them and leaving.

As soon as it was clear, Rikku let Yuffie and Leon know. The Gullwings heard crashing and cursing on the other end.

"Hey, don't break our treasure!" Rikku cried.

"Sorry guys, Leon's just frustrated I guess."

"Well, you know how strongly Aerith feels, so why not go ahead and ask her to the festival?" Yuna suggested. The crashing stopped.

"I...don't know..." his voice came out quietly. "Alright, wait one second" Yuna commanded, and the fairies teleported the Walkie talkie and themselves back to Leon's room.

Upon arriving, they saw that Leon had made quite a mess, but ignored it to retrieve the WTs.

"So, why so hesitant to ask Aerith out?" Rikku asked.

"You make it sound easy." Leon retorted.

"Well, isn't it?"

"No!"

"Why?"

"Because! I...I still don't know what she feels for me!" Leon blurted before stopping himself.

"Did you not hear a word she said? That was practically a confession!"

"No, it wasn't. Ten years of living with a person will make you as close to a person as she is to me-"

"No it doesn't!" Yuffie countered. "Ten years and I'm not that close to you!"

"But Aerith is the kind of person who can see someone for who they are without making them feel embarrassed. She can understand without words and she naturally cares for everyone around her. So she could just be herself, saying those things..."

"No way. You should've been there, to see her eyes. She's totally thinking of you! She even moved on from Mr. Spikey Head!" Rikku cried.

"She sure said a lot." Yuffie said. Yuna nodded. "She looked like the living dead; she didn't even ask why we called her in the first place. I guess she got carried away with her exhaustion."

It was quiet for a moment before Leon spoke.

"Just...leave me alone. I need to think."

The girls exchanged glances but left.

"And don't tell her!" he yelled after them as the door closed.

OoO

It was around lunchtime when Aerith called Leon down from his room.

Upon arriving downstairs, he saw everyone seated at the table, helping themselves to healthy portions of pasta Aerith cooked up. Even Merlin and Cid had come inside.

"So, he lives" Cid muttered, grinning up at him.

"You look much more rested, much thanks to Aerith for that" Merlin greeted.

Aerith just smiled bashfully. "How are you feeling, Leon?"

"Sick."

"S-sick?"

"Of them" Leon pointed to Yuffie and the Gullwings. They stuck their tongues out at him before returning to their food.

"You want to go outside now, huh." Aerith said, mostly to herself. "Why don't you come with me to the gardens? The air might do you some good." She said after a minute.

"Yeah, Leon, go with her to the gardens" Yuffie said cheekily, giving a pointed look to the stoic but red man.

Cid and Merlin looked at Yuffie like she'd lost her head but kept quiet.

"Um...sure." Leon muttered, taking a large slurp of the pasta on his plate.

As soon as the dish washer and stomachs of the restoration committee were filled, Aerith led Leon to the gardens.

"What's up with you?" Cid asked, narrowing his eyes at Yuffie.

"I can't tell." She said it proudly, but anybody could tell she was dying to blurt out whatever she knew.

"Whatever. Oh damn! Almost forgot to tell Aerith...oh well, she'll know soon enough."

OoO

In the gardens, Leon could see green everywhere. The seeds were starting to sprout and the trees and bushes had all been trimmed. It seemed so peaceful. There were groups of two or three volunteers at different patches of the garden beds, weeding, sowing, or watering the sprouts. Everything smelled wonderful; she was right, this kind of air could do _anybody_ some good.

"Oh no!" Aerith's cry brought Leon back to reality. His hand instinctively went to his hip where his gunblade was. He had convinced Aerith it was to keep his mind at peace if he had it on him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"There's a whole bunch of weeds sprouting up! I had no idea they'd grow this fast! They must've picked up on some of my magic." Aerith said with a frown.

Leon looked at where Aerith was standing. The flower bed had plants with long leaves sprinkled across a small section. All their leaves seemed to inter connect.

"How are you going to fix it?" Leon asked, not sure what the big deal was.

"Pull them out by the roots of course. So no more will grow. Can you give me a hand?"

"Um...what do I do?"

Aerith giggled. "Here, I'll show you."

She pulled away as much dirt as she could from the base of the weed, then grabbed the base and gave a few tugs. The weed came out, showing a large gnarled root that had been keeping the plant stuck in the ground. She tossed the weed into a box that held several others that were dried up.

"Make sure to get as much of the root as possible" Aerith said as Leon, looking dubious, started to pull a weed out.

They got into the rhythm of pulling the weeds out, and cleared most of them. Aerith was struggling with the last one though; it was the biggest one. "Leon? I need help pulling this one out!"

Leon wiped whatever seat was growing on his brow and walked over to her. _No wonder she said the gardens would take time. There's so much energy put into just getting the dirt ready. I don't know how the volunteers can keep doing this._

Leon blinked as she was bent over, yanking at the base of the weed. "Help me pull" she said. Leon hesitated because he would have to pull it from behind her; his arms would be around her...

He grabbed the root anyways; her hair was slightly in his face, intoxicating him with her scent. He swallowed to clear his head and said "I'm ready."

"Alright; on three, ok? One...two...three!" The two pulled the base simultaneously. The weed seemed to be incredibly weak against their combined forces.

Leon and Aerith fell backwards, upbringing the giant root. All Leon could see was waves of chestnut hair, and a pair of triumphant green eyes. "Success!" Aerith cried, flinging the weed to the side. Then she paused.

When tumbling back, Leon's arms must've wrapped around her out of surprise. They were still there. Aerith was pressed against his chest and she could feel her heart begin racing. She looked over and on closer inspection, she saw his face was as red as her own probably was. _Have his eyes always been this blue?_

"Ahem..."

The two looked up to see a sheepish-looking volunteer and two familiar faces.

"Um, M-miss Aerith, these two r-requested to see you..." the volunteer was clearly embarrassed at "walking in" on them.

"Ah, thank you for bringing them" Aerith said, a little embarrassed herself, as she tried to untangle her legs from Leon's and straighten her skirt.

Then she stood up and gave each of her visitors a hug. "Tifa! Cloud! It's so good to see you! I'm so happy you could make it for the festival!"

"Same old happy Aerith" Tifa said smiling, although it was a tight smile. Cloud just nodded as he placed a hand on her back in greeting. He wasn't looking at Aerith though; he was staring at Leon.

Leon, who had also straightened himself out, nodded gruffly to them. "Glad you're back."

"What are you doing here? I never heard you were coming today."

"We actually just got in. I sent a message to Cid, maybe he forgot to tell you."

"I actually had a lot on my plate the past few days, so I suppose we hadn't crossed paths. Oh, but you have to see the town! Everyone's working hard getting ready for the festival. We have so many people flying in and all the fountains are just like how they used to be!"

Aerith tugged at both Tifa's and Cloud's hands before she set off. "I just need to talk to the volunteers for a sec and I'll show you!" she called over her shoulder.

As soon as she disappeared, Leon began to walk after her. He couldn't look anyone in the eye yet.

"Leon..." Tifa started, not sure on what exactly she was going to say.

"It was a simple misunderstanding. An accident." Leon said shortly, not glancing back.

"It didn't look like an accident." Cloud said simply, his eyes on Leon's back.

Before things could go any further, a flash of yellow introduced the presence of a fairy. "Aerith I-"

Yuna stopped when she saw the two newcomers. "Mr. Spikey Head! Ms. Fists! What's up?"

"Hello Yuna. If you need Aerith, she went that way" Tifa said with a smile. "Oh no! She'll be ambushed!"

"Ambushed?"

No sooner than that, they heard shrieks coming from the aforementioned direction. "What's going on?"

"Well, Yuffie got bored so-" (Leon left in the direction Aerith took off. Cloud, Tifa, and Yuna decided to follow.) "-so Rikku decided to show her a treasure we found the other week. It's a gun, but it shoots water. They each have one and decided to try it on someone who wouldn't kill them right after." Yuna smiled sheepishly. "I came to warn Aerith, but I guess I'm too late."

By then, they had turned around the corner and saw the two mischievous pranksters spraying Aerith as she ran. She looked up to see the gang she left behind. She ran straight towards them, hiding herself behind Leon.

Yuffie turned and shot a stream of water where she thought Aerith was...and hit Leon with it.

"Uh-oh" Yuffie muttered suddenly looking embarrassed. But her eyes lit up when she saw the ones behind him. "CLOUD! TIFA!" she shrieked, tackling both of them with bear hugs.

OoO

Once the confusion at the gardens was over, Aerith, Leon, Yuffie, and the Gullwings escorted Cloud and Tifa all over the town, pointing out several things that were for the restoration's festival.

"Hey Aerith, can we head to the market area? I picked up a lot of stuff that I'd like to sell." Tifa said, smiling. "Sure" Aerith said, nodding.

Tifa managed to strike up some bargains and Cloud sold some of what he was carrying as well. Yuffie saw some things that caught her eye while Leon took interest in a nearby Weapon stall. Aerith smiled as she looked over her groups haggling.

She was looking over some jewellery when a sudden cry snapped her attention.

"Big brother? Big brother?"

A little boy was shaking an older one, who seemed to have collapsed on the spot.

"Big brother? Wake up, please wake up! Somebody! Help!" The little boy was on the verge of tears. Aerith ran to him immediately.

"It's alright. Don't cry. Shh..." she tried to soothe the boy, who now flew into her arms and began to soak her shirt in tears.

"What's going on?"

Aerith jumped. Leon had appeared out of thin air behind her. "He seems to have collapsed" Aerith explained, still stroking the young boy's head.

Leon went over to inspect his brother. His vital signs were normal but his breathing was a little shallow. His skin also seemed to be unnaturally warm.

"He just has a small fever. Nothing too severe." Leon concluded.

"Leon, let me try something." Aerith said, getting up and letting the little boy cling to Leon while she knelt beside his brother. By now, a large crowd had gathered around them.

Aerith's brow furrowed for a moment as she closed her eyes. Then she let her hands hover above the boy's chest, casting a green glow. It wasn't long after that the boy's eyes began to flutter open. Aerith ended the spell and helped him sit up.

"Can someone bring some water?" Aerith asked as the boy coughed into his hand.

"Big brother!" The little boy ran to his brother, enveloping him in his arms. A water bottle was handed to Aerith and she handed it to the older boy.

"Ugh...w-what happened?" the older boy muttered, looking dumbfounded.

"It looked like you collapsed from exhaustion" Leon explained. The boy touched his forehead. "Ah...yeah...thank you so much, Miss Aerith, Mister Leon. I am truly in your debts."

"Please, just take care of yourself. Worry about your health and not any debts you owe us." Aerith reassured, helping him up.

"Uh, of course." The boy nodded and bowed again. Aerith knelt down to look the little boy at eye level. "You take care of him now; don't want that to happen again, do we?"

"No I don't. Come on big brother! Let's go home so i can take care of you! Thank you, Mister...uh...Miss...Uh...Mister and Miss Leon!" he cried as he lead his brother away from the market district.

Leon and Aerith were positively crimson from the names the little boy had come up with since not remembering theirs. Many people in the crowd had also begun to laugh affectionately at the misconception as they dispersed, and Yuffie and the Gullwings could barely breathe.

"L-let's check out the fountains" Aerith said, trying to change the subject. She smiled and walked in the direction, the rest of the girls following. But Cloud kept Leon from moving forward. "I want to know what's going on."

"Nothing. The boy just couldn't remember our names."

"No, what's going on between you and Aerith."

"There's nothing going on."

"You're closer to each other than last time I was here."

"Ten years of living with a person will do that."

Cloud just stared. Leon turned and began to walk off.

"There's nothing going on." He said again, and he was glad no one could see how desolate his face looked at that thought. _Nothing is going on, no matter how much I wish something was._

OoOoO

It was a few days later when King Mickey brought Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Riku, Pluto, and his sweetheart Queen Minnie for the festival.

Preparations kept the restoration committee busy, with the visitors helping out wherever they could. Leon was able to help the next day, after being discharged by Aerith when she stopped worrying. But the two didn't seem to speak much.

In truth, Aerith had begun to look at Leon in _that way_; the way she stopped looking at him back in Traverse Town. Ever since the Gullwings mentioned it to her, he had been in the back of her mind. She was at the point where whenever Leon would glance at her (which wasn't very often these days); she would look away quickly and blush, apologizing if he was within earshot.

_He's been my best friend these 10 years, along with Yuffie and Cid. So why am I feeling these things now? I don't think he feels the same...does he? His arms look so strong..._

"Aerith?"

Yuna brought Aerith back from her dreaming. She was sitting back after weeding some vines out of a porthole for the signal she'd send to Tron for the Radiant Rain. Her eyes had drifted to the man occupying her thoughts, who at the moment was helping build stalls down in the market district.

She looked back to the little fairy. "Sorry, I spaced out. What do you need?"

"It's almost time for lunch. We should be heading back down now."

"Oh, right. Thanks for reminding me." The fairy nodded and began to float down the path lazily. Aerith took one glance back at Leon. He was stepping away suddenly, shaking his hand out. It seemed he had hurt his hand. Aerith brought a hand to her lips in worry, but she was smiling a little as well. Then he glanced up to where she was and she grew red and stepped back a bit, running to catch up to Yuna.

_Did he see me?_

"Your head's been in the clouds lately" Yuna observed as she waited for her to catch her breath.

"Just nervous for the festival I guess" she said, beginning to walk.

"You were staring at him again, weren't you" Yuna said with a smile. It grew when she stopped in her tracks.

"What's going on, Aerith? Did Leon do something?"

"No..."

"Then what?"

Aerith took a breath. "Well, you know how I said I haven't thought about anything like love for a long time? Well, after that time we talked, I...started to see Leon in a different way..."

Yuna gasped. "Do...do you love him?" she squeaked.

"I...don't know. I mean, yes he's handsome, but now he's attractive. I see him when he smirks or when he's happy and doesn't want it to show and it makes me smile or laugh. I see when the past haunts him and hurts him, and I want to heal that wound or just hold him until the pain stops."

"When he's angry, you make a silly face to distract him" Yuna said with a grin. Aerith smiled.

"Yes...the point is, now any feelings I've had before are just intensified. Now, he's not just Leon. He's _Leon_. He's this incredible person who...who feels like my light. I feel like whenever he's near, I can smile and everything feels right. My stomach gets knotted up, my legs feel like they won't work, and my heart starts beating so fast I can barely hear. I don't know what this feeling is exactly, but...Come on Yuna. Let's get going. And, if you don't mind, could you keep this between us?"

Yuna was behind her, so she didn't see how far her jaw had dropped.

"Wait, you're telling me you've never felt this feeling before?" Yuna asked.

Aerith paused. "Maybe I'm fooling myself. Or thinking things are different from what they actually are. Because the last time I felt this, it was with the Cloud I used to know. The Cloud I said I'd wait for. It doesn't look like that Cloud is coming back."

Aerith continued to walk.

OoO

"Hey Cloud, can you pass me that hammer?" Leon asked, trying to make some conversation with his stoic friend. He hadn't spoken to him since that one time in the market.

Cloud complied, not looking at him. It was just as well for Leon; he wasn't sure what he should do or say if Cloud did speak. And as luck would have it, he decided to at that moment.

"Everyone glares at me whenever I'm near Aerith. They say I'm coming between 'them'. Care to enlighten me?"

Leon sighed. "I would if I could. Can you hand me the screw driver?"

Cloud held it up, then back down. "Stop avoiding the question."

"I'm not avoiding anything. Whatever the town's saying, I don't know anything about it. Screwdriver."

Again, Cloud raised then lowered the tool. "At the market, you two seemed so co-ordinated."

"The town depends on us. We have to work fast and together to keep everyone safe. So everyone looks up to us. Screwdriver."

Cloud raised the tool, but when Leon gripped onto it, he didn't let go. "She said she'd wait for me. It doesn't seem that way anymore."

Leon tugged the tool out of his grip and started working on the stall. "You expected her to?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I know Aerith is very serious when it comes to things like that-"

"_You_ would know."

"-but she's human. She has a limit of patience. You still haven't come over your darkness and made it clear that her light isn't enough for you to shine." Leon got off the stall and replaced the tools in the toolbox. "But that's just what I think. I think she's done waiting for a Cloud that will never come. She's finally left the past behind."

"And you have too?"

"Yes."

"Then why do you still call yourself _Leon_? Moving on would be becoming Squall again, wouldn't it? And how would Rinoa feel right now if she saw you now, chasing after _her_?"

"Leave her out of this!"

Cloud stayed impassive then shook his head. "I'm not the only one that's changed."

Leon clenched his fist, and immediately went into a defensive position. Cloud's hand twitched, ready to reach for his sword.

"What's going on?" Aerith asked, as she came over from her walk down. She looked curiously at the two men. They immediately assumed a nonchalant appearance.

"Nothing. Sorry, I forgot to pick you up again." Leon didn't look anyone in the face.

"It's alright. The date for the festival is coming soon so I'm not surprised. So, what would you guys like for lunch?" she asked, giving a smile to the two of them while continuing to walk to the castle.

OoOoO

Festival day was fast approaching and before she knew it, Aerith would be performing the restoration ceremony in less than 24 hours. She was given the day before off and used it to cook a large dinner for all the visitors. She cooked to keep her mind off of the intense pressure she would be put in the next day.

Everyone enjoyed themselves that night, celebrating the fact that all the houses had roofs or plumbing, that the Heartless had practically become non-existent and the town's defence system was now in perfect condition, and that the gardens were nearly back to their full glory of a decade ago.

Leon and Cloud made a silent agreement to bury the hatchet and never speak of the heavy conversations they had. They began to act civil, at least when in front of everyone else.

That night, after Leon had dragged a drunken Cid over to his room, he went down to the dining room to find Aerith cleaning the mess everyone had made. Leon guessed everyone was too drunk or excited or sleepy to notice the mess.

"You should get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a big day."

Aerith didn't look back, but only stopped in her cleaning and sighed. "Yes, I know, but I can't sleep. I'm too nervous. My stomach keeps getting butterflies when I think about it."

"Why? You'll do fine, I'm sure" Leon blurted before thinking. Aerith blushed and smiled. "Thank you Leon. I'm glad everyone has such confidence in me."

Aerith stood up and walked to the kitchen. She filled a cup with water and poured it over a potted lily she kept on the sill.

"The fountains are going to be surrounded by lilies. I planted them myself. I'm keeping my promise for her."

"I think she'd be happy about that. She loved those flowers the most from you." Leon began picking up things from the floor. He was about to clear the table off when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. He froze as he felt Aerith's grip tighten, her frame shaking slightly. "I miss her Leon. She's done so much. I wish she was here."

Aerith was crying into his shirt. He turned around so she was crying into his shoulder as he stroked her back. "Yeah, I miss her too."

Aerith sniffled again as she pulled away. "Thanks" she mumbled, going back to the kitchen. Do you want a drink? I could make barley tea. Or some soda."

Leon flinched. Aerith's meals may be delicious, but her drinks were something else. He didn't like salt with his lemonade or milk with his soda.

But he drank them anyways.

OoOoO

The morning after was insane. Everyone was shovelling whatever breakfast Aerith had laid on the table. Instructions were being thrown around between everyone and volunteers kept dropping by for advice or to pick up something or to drop something off.

After the initial wave subsided, everyone set off for the last minute preparations. The Gullwings and Yuffie whispered plans of fireworks behind Leon; Sora, Kairi, and Riku talked animatedly with the King and his entourage; and Merlin spoke with Aerith about tips he'd picked up in magic.

OoO

Later on, at sunset, Aerith, Yuffie, the Gullwings, Merlin, Cid, Cloud, and Tifa got together before the beginning ceremony. A volunteer pulled Leon aside to check on some things while everyone else left to enjoy the festival beginnings.

"Aerith?"

Merlin looked at the girl with a fond smile. "I have something here for you; something I wanted to give you for this day."

Merlin handed Aerith a white mage's robe. It was old but still in good condition and looked like the one she had lost upon fleeing the Heartless many years ago.

"I found it a while back and thought it might help for today" Merlin explained. Aerith just held the robe in awe for a moment before giving Merlin a hug and wearing the robe.

"Um, Aerith?" Yuna approached her shyly, Paine and Rikku behind her.

"We wanted you to have something for the ceremony. W-we need it back, but it's a rare treasure we've never let anyone else see" Yuna waved her hand in in a flash, a magnificent staff. It was blue and gold with a beautiful swirling design on the top.

"It's beautiful, thank you. I'll remember to return it." Aerith smiled at the little pixies.

A sudden hug from behind drew her attention. Yuffie let go and looked Aerith in the eye. "I want you to wear this!" She produced a brooch from behind her. "My dad gave it to me before he left, saying in was my mom's. It's supposed to be lucky" she explained. Aerith knelt down and returned her hug. "Thank you Yuffie, I know this means a lot."

"Hey, kiddo." Cid grunted as Aerith stood back up. He took the straw that he kept between his lips in stuck it in her hair band. "Kept me calm all these years. Mostly. Helps fight jitters, y'know?"

Aerith smiled up at the man. He'd been like a father to all of them throughout the years.

She heard nervous coughs behind her.

"Here" Cloud held up a torn red fabric. Aerith recognized it as the cloak he had worn the previous year.

Aerith smiled; Cloud didn't say anything but she understood.

"My gloves" Tifa said, handing her the leather gloves she wore during combat. "They protect me from harm, but I want you to wear them. A sort of peace of mind."

"Thank you" Aerith said softly; her smile could grow any bigger. She wrapped Cloud's cloak around her waist like a belt and slipped the gloves on.

"You all have such faith in me; thank you, all of you."

"Aerith, I-"

Leon had come back. He was going with Aerith to check up on Tron before coming back for the ceremony. He was going to escort her to make sure no Heartless were prowling around to attack her (she said she'd take care of them if any showed up but Leon wanted her to save her magic energy). He had stopped short when he saw Aerith's strange outfit.

"Uh, we...should go. Check on Tron, I mean." Leon muttered, heading out. Aerith nodded to everyone and ran after him.

OoO

"Everything seems to be in check" Aerith told the Computer Whiz. "Thanks Tron, I can't do this without you."

"You are a brilliant user. I'm sure you will please the other users. Give my greetings to Sora, Donald, and Goofy." Tron replied.

"Of course" Aerith said.

"Oh and here."

An animation of flower petals played on the screen. "Something I created..." Tron explained.

"Thank you, Tron. That's sweet."

"Good luck."

Aerith left the Master Control Room and met back with Leon outside.

As they were walking back to the town, Leon sighed. "Do you want to tell me about the robe yet? Or why you have straw in your hair?"

"Oh, everyone gave me something for luck in the ceremony today." Aerith replied sheepishly. "The robe is from Merlin; the staff from the Gullwings; the brooch from Yuffie; the straw from Cid; the gloves from Tifa; and the...belt from Cloud."

By now, Aerith had stopped and Leon turned back to look at her.

"Tron even created something on the computer for me. I feel so happy that they all want to help me. It feels like they're part of the show, y'know?"

She looked at Leon, who she now realized was standing in front of her. His eyes were focused on hers, his gaze was intense.

"Ah, sorry" Aerith whispered, looking away. Leon didn't say anything, just pulled his Griever necklace off and gently placed it around her neck.

"You...don't have to do this, Leon. I mean, I'm sorry if you feel left out-"

"Don't apologize" Leon cut her off. Aerith glanced back up at him and got caught in his eyes once again. His steel-blue eyes entranced her as he lost himself in her emerald ones.

He brushed some hair off her face and she felt her cheeks begin to burn. Her heart began to race at the closeness of his face to hers.

They stood there for a moment that felt like an eternity. "Aerith..." Leon whispered, which brought him out of their trance. He coughed into his fist as he turned back around.

"We should be getting back" he muttered as he continued to walk. Aerith just stood there, looking at his retreating back before running up to him. "Leon!" she called after him.

Leon turned around again and saw Aerith pull the ribbon in her hair off her hairband. She took his hand and placed her ribbon in it, curling his fingers around it. She then pulled up her hood and began to walk back to the town. Leon looked back at the red ribbon in his hand before gripping on to it and running back after Aerith.

OoO

When they arrived back in town, Cid nodded over to them before stepping onto the makeshift stage they created. He began a speech, which was short but strung with profanities that made parents cover the ears of their children. Then he introduced Merlin on stage, who also gave a speech, followed by Leon (who was greeted by the cheers of many girls) who spoke very shortly. He then nodded over to Aerith and introduced the ceremony.

Aerith felt her heart race again as she walked over to the fountain and removed her boots.

The fountain was in the middle of the square with little empty flower beds placed around it. It streamed water in little bursts around the border while the middle remained calm. The border of the square was filled with more empty beds and some more fountains that looked like miniature waterfalls.

Aerith took a breath as she stepped into the centre fountain barefoot. The bottom hem of her robe got wet, up to her ankles, but she didn't notice and only focused on the magic energy she stored inside.

Everything was silent, all eyes on her; she took one more breath to steady herself before beginning.

Aerith brought the staff in front of her, standing it in front of her and making it stand there on its own. She clasped her hands in prayer and a great rush of wind swirled around the square.

She then swiftly took the staff and spun in a full circle; the lily beds around the fountain began to grow at an alarming rate. Another spin and the flowers began to grow on the border. The wind swirling around stirred the flower petals and caused them to float above the heads of the civilians.

She brought the staff down and swept the water up in jets, using magic for that too. She stepped from right to left, swaying to the rhythm of her heart, creating a dance.

She could feel every seed and every sprout in every bed; she sent her magic through her feet, into the dirt, and went straight for the seeds, warming them with her energy. She felt that vessel absorb the magic and expand, growing into the flowers that grew everywhere.

The residents in the streets now witnessed the magic Aerith was spreading, seeing the petals fluttering through the air.

A green glow was now all around her, looking like she was surrounded by emerald fireflies. She felt the first vine that grew into the port hole Tron was stationing. She directed she energy through one end of the vine and pushed it until it grew long enough for Tron to realize it was there.

A giant pillar of light shone up to the sky, sparking drops of light came down like rain and mingled with the petals in the wind. Aerith continued to dance, casting her magic, as everyone looked to the sky in awe.

Every flower bed in the city was now filled with the lush greenery, gently swaying in the breeze. The castle grounds were also overflowing with colour. Many more ports showered the Radiant rain down onto the town.

Aerith had begun to use water spells, arcing the water from the fountain she was in over herself and over the spectators to the fountains on the border of the square. Droplets of water began to suspend in mid-air, flying around with the petals and drops of light.

Aerith's dance begun to get more intricate, raising the water to flow like a spring over her head. She swept the staff over and over into the water and above her head, spinning around in her own world.

Leon stared in awe, much like everyone else, at the former beauty of their home brought to life. He held his hand out and a droplet of light stayed in his hand for a moment, before flying off. A pink petal then floated in front of his face before also flying off and returning his focus back to the object of affection.

At last, when the last porthole opened and Aerith felt the last seed flourish, she brought the staff back down to stand in front of her again, clasped her hands in prayer once more as she sank to her knees, and created a wind and water spell, making the fountains rise to spray the civilians nearby and the petals and rain whirl in the air before gently falling down to the ground with the water.

The staff fell as the crowd gave a roaring applause to the resident healer. She shakily got up, using the staff for support, and stepped out of the fountain. She picked up her boots as she made her way to the stage, receiving praise from everyone she passed. Aerith just smiled and continued on her way. Once she reached the stage, she sat down and begun to search her robe.

"What are you looking for?" Tifa asked at the same time Leon handed her a small bottle.

"Thank you" she mumbled, downing the potion to restore her strength.

After returning everyone's possessions (except for the robe, which she asked Yuna to send to her room, and Leon's necklace, which she wanted to keep for the moment) she sighed contently.

"Let's go enjoy the festival together." She said, jumping off the stage and heading towards the streets. The rest followed after her.

OoOoO

The festival was really coming along; everyone was enjoying themselves with the games and food prepared. Families strolled through the various stalls; children of all ages stuffed their faces with treats; couples wandered through the vast gardens.

The restoration committee members themselves were receiving much praise from passing civilians. Yuffie challenged Cloud and Leon to every game she passed by; they faced each other in a game but ended up tying. Tifa sniffed every different flower she passed while Cid and Aerith ate treats here and there.

They made a full circle and came back to the main square when Aerith spotted what was happening in front of the fountain.

The stage now had a band set up and they were playing fast paced songs to which many people were dancing to. It was a folk dance, with men arranged in a line and their female partner across from them in another line. All the women were wearing full skirts that they used to curtsey and lift when dancing. Lanterns and strings of tiny white light streamed red, orange, and yellow light everywhere.

Aerith stood on the edge and clapped with everyone else who was watching the dancers enjoy themselves.

The song ended and everyone applauded as the band announced the next song. New dancers began to join in the line.

"Oh, I want to dance, let's dance!" Aerith cried, grabbing the nearest arm and rushing forward.

The nearest arm was Leon and he nearly choked on his food as he was dragged over. "W-what?" he sputtered as Aerith took him to the lines; leaving Cloud, Tifa, and Cid standing with their mouths wide open (Yuffie challenged the Gullwings to another game).

Aerith stood Leon over at one line and stood at the other across from him. He was turning red and wanted to walk away from his embarrassment but one look at her green eyes kept Leon rooted to the spot.

The song began and everyone began stepping in tune with the music. Aerith and Leon mimicked the moves of the others as best they could; Aerith picked it up almost instantly, enjoying herself thoroughly, while Leon could barely keep from knocking into everything and everyone around him.

He kept on telling himself to leave but every time he came close, he would look to Aerith and see her smile. Her eyes were only on him, so he stayed.

The line now slowly move to a circle as each pair now joined hands and began to dance faster. Leon had seemed to pick up the beat.

"I just noticed – where's Aerith's ribbon?" Cloud asked as he gazed at the dancers, two in particular.

"I...I think that's it on Leon's arm..." Tifa mumbled. Leon's left arm still held its 3 belts but his right forearm now donned the red ribbon.

"And she's still wearing his chain" Cloud muttered.

"What's everyone looking at?" Yuna asked as the younger girls joined the group. Taking a look, Yuffie dropped the stuffed bear she had won. "No way! She got Leon to dance?"

Yuna laughed. "I think it's cute. Finally, y'know?"

"Hah, totally!"

"What do you mean by 'finally'?" Cloud asked.

Yuna looked up innocently. "I didn't say that." Cloud looked at Yuffie. "Well..."

Rikku shot forward and clamped Yuffie's mouth. "We can't say anything!"

Yuffie struggled free. "But I'm dying to tell someone!"

"And you don't think we aren't?"

"What's going on?" asked Tifa.

"Nothing!" Yuna tried to reassure as she also tried to restrain Yuffie with Paine and Rikku.

"Yuffie..." Cid said warningly. Yuffie finally burst.

"Leon's in love with Aerith and she might love him back!"

The fairies let go of Yuffie and groaned. Yuffie mumbled an apology while looking sheepish. The rest stood there in shock.

"You mean...Leon and Aerith are...?" Tifa managed to ask.

"No, they aren't. She doesn't know how he feels and he's not going to tell her anytime soon. But she might feel the same" Yuffie said before Yuna smacked her mouth again.

"So, right now..." Cloud trailed off, looking back at the pair.

"Nope. They're kinda oblivious to each other. But hey! He's wearing her ribbon. Ha! And now he's distracted! Let's go set off the fireworks!" Yuffie cried, looking at the Gullwings. They nodded, wanting to get away from what seemed to be an awkward situation between the adults.

Back on the dance floor, the pair had become more in synch with the other dancers, stepping, twirling, spinning, and weaving perfectly. Aerith's eyes never left Leon's; he had his gaze fully on her and she could see he probably didn't know about the smile growing on his face.

Leon was barely aware he was being watched by everyone in town; he kept staring at the girl in front of him, watching every move.

Tifa watched the dancers; then looked back at Cloud sadly. "Cloud..." she whispered. Cloud however, started something else. "She looks happy. And he's making her happy. I...don't think I've ever seen her smile like that; or him actually smile."

Tifa looked at him questioningly. "They found a light to shine in. That's all I need." Cloud muttered before closing his eyes. "He just better make sure it doesn't go out."

The music began to speed up, building towards a climax before a dramatic ending, and the dancers were on par. The pairs stretched apart from each other, then close the distance in a spin between each other as fireworks lit up the night sky.

Aerith was pressed up against Leon now, staring into his eyes as he was doing the same. Their faces had become serious now and they held together a moment longer before breaking away and heading to where the fireworks seemed to be coming from.

They ran passed the awed crowd, only the two knowing full well the fireworks were not a part of the festival.

OoO

"Wow that one looked great Paine! Let's look for another one!" Yuffie cried as she looked over the array of fireworks to choose the next one. Her eyes landed on two pairs of boots. She looked up to see Aerith and Leon looking down at the young one they watched over.

Leon was scowling greatly but Aerith just had raised eyebrows and disappointment in her eyes. Both Yuffie and the pixies tried to put on innocent faces.

"What the hell was that? I told you fireworks were too-" Leon had begun to scold Yuffie but Aerith gently placed a hand on his arm for a moment before kneeling to the girls' level.

"You could've burned yourselves. That makes us worry about you."

It was short, but it immediately made the girls feel guilty. But Yuffie did notice how quickly Aerith had calmed Leon down. She decided to distract them and make a quick getaway.

"Alright; geez, I don't envy whatever kids you two have" Yuffie said, feigning ignorance. And it worked. Both Leon and Aerith had gone red and silent.

"Ugh this is killing me!" Rikku cried out. She began to recite a conversation, pitching her voice low and high. "Aerith, I love you. I love you too, Leon. There, now you both know! Can we go now?"

She gave them a frustrated look before disappearing in a flash, the fireworks disappearing with her.

Yuna, Paine, and Yuffie exchanged glances before shrugging and running off. "Let me know how it works out between you guys!" Yuffie called over her shoulder as she ran past the two.

Leon wanted to murder the yellow Gullwing but stopped himself and looked back at Aerith. She was still kneeling and now looking at where the girls were a moment ago.

After a moment, Leon sighed and walked up behind her. "Aerith?" he whispered.

Aerith continued to kneel for a while longer before slowly standing back up. She caught Leon by surprise when she turned around suddenly and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his chest.

Leon stumbled back a bit but held his ground, and hesitated for a moment before wrapping his own arms around her small waist and placing his own head on hers. He breathed in the fruity scent of her hair before letting her go and cupping her face with his hands. She had tears welled in her eyes but the smile on her face warmed his heart.

Aerith gently traced the scar on his brow for a moment before brushing aside his bangs. She tilted her face closer to his and softly brushed his lips with her own. He returned the touch and they both melted into a deep kiss.

No words needed to be spoken.

OoOoO

The festival was successful and everyone had thoroughly enjoyed it. Many former residents complimented the committee on their wonderful restoration job; the town's former glory was mended.

Aerith had woken up early the next morning to fix a full breakfast for their guests; they would all be leaving the next morning.

She gently touched Leon's Griever chain and thought back to the night before. She couldn't remember a time she was truly that happy. She felt as if she was bathed in light and that darkness could never touch her.

"Up so early?" Leon asked, coming in the kitchen with his pyjamas still on. He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes with his right hand, which still had her ribbon attached to it.

"Yup. Morning, sleepyhead. Everyone's leaving today so I thought I'd cook them up a feast."

Leon looked over the pots, pans, and plates set up all around the kitchen. "Even Yuffie and the fairies couldn't eat their way out of this" he muttered as he pulled the carton of milk out from the fridge. He opened it up and tipped it to send a small stream into his mouth but a slap on his hand almost made him drop the whole thing. He spilled milk on his face and looked to see Aerith tapping her spatula against her hand with a half smirk and half scowl on her face.

She held a cup out for him and he grudgingly took it and began to fill it. She smiled and turned back to the stove where eggs were sizzling. She brought a pot of water to boil and steeped some tea for Leon as he sat down and nibbled on some toast.

"Do you want help?" he asked after a moment.

"Well, if you don't mind, could you grab some spices from the cabinet up there? I can't reach it."

Leon got up and walked behind her, stretching to the top shelf to reach the bottle she wanted. He set it on the counter beside her and stretched his head over her shoulder to look at the eggs. He rested his arms against her shoulders and leaned a little over her. "Smells good" he muttered by her ear.

He could see she was turning red. "The eggs or me?"

"A little bit of both" he said mischievously while wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned into him and smiled before stepping away to prepare the rest of the food.

OoO

It was a while before everyone woke up to the smell of many breakfast foods. Yuffie, the fairies, the King, and Sora were the first ones down, digging into the food. Riku, Kairi, Donald, and everyone else trickled in sleepily but woke up fairly quickly.

Breakfast was noisy and messy but everyone enjoyed the company as it was the last time they'd sit around together for a long time.

OoO

"Bye!"

"See you soon!"

"I'll totally kick your ass next time we play!"

"Bring it on!"

The King's Gummi ship was starting up as it was getting ready to go back to Destiny Islands and their Radiant Garden friends were exchanging goodbyes.

"Hey Sora!" Yuffie called to the ship. "You better visit soon! We didn't get to dance together!" she waved at him and gave a flirty wink, which was met with a blush from Sora, a grin from Riku, and a frown from Kairi.

Yuffie giggled as the Gummi ship disappeared from view. "So, you guys are next, huh."

She turned to Cloud and Tifa, who were both looking at their friends with their arms and backs loaded and ready for travel.

"Call us whenever you can and come back soon" Yuffie demanded as she hugged them both. She ran back to town, not waiting to hear their talks about possibly not coming back.

The Gullwings and Merlin said their own goodbyes and took off after her.

"You kids take care. Don't know what Sephiroth is up too, but it can't be pretty." Cid muttered to the two as he patted their heads and stood back.

Leon clasped hands with both of them. "Give him hell" he said and gave them a nod.

Aerith stepped forward and pressed a basket into their hands. "This should get you through for a while. I hope you eat well. And there are blankets in there too. Oh, I also added some potions, just in case. And call if you need anything, ok?"

Tifa laughed. "Same old Aerith. You don't need to worry so much. We'll find him, beat him, and come back home in time for the holidays." She hugged her nervous friend and tucked the basket away with her belongings.

Aerith then moved to hug Cloud. "Take care" he whispered. "You too" she whispered back and let go of him. They turned around and waved behind them, setting off on their journey once more.

"Come home safely! Or at least in one piece!" Aerith called after them as they disappeared into the horizon.

"They didn't look back. They're moving forward." Leon mused, standing next to Aerith.

"Yeah. You have too." She said as she took his hand and intertwined her fingers in his. "And now I know that I can as well." She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked back to their home.

**Long one-shot, eh? Reviews are kindly accepted!**


End file.
